Hairpin



Oct. 17, 1933. F. a. pa 1.0m; 1,930,469

HAIBPIN Filed Feb. 5. 1932 WITNESSES: IN VEN TOR:

Patented Oct. 17, 1933 PATENT OFFICE HAIRPIN Fran E. De Long,Washingtonville, Pa. ApplicationFebruary 3, 1932. Serial No. 590,594

Claims. (Cl. 132-50) This invention relates to hair-pins, and it has forits chief aim the provision of a hair-pin capable, by torsional clampingaction, of effec tively resisting dislodgenient after place nent in 5the hair.

A further object of my invention is to secure the indicated desideratumin a hair-pinwhich lends itself to very economic production in quantityfrom wire or other strip or strand material of a springy nature.

Still other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will bemanifest from the following detailed description considered inconnection with the attached drawing; wherein Fig. I is an illuslration,drawn to an enlarged scale, showing my novel hair-pin in side elevation.

Fig. II shows the hair-pin in bottom plan.

Fig. III is an illustration corresponding to Fig. 20 I showing amodified form or" my invention; and,

Figs. IV and V are respectively side edge and bottom plan views of thehair-pin of Fig. III.

Referring first to Figs. I and II of the drawing, the hair-pin thereilluslrated is made from a single length of sprin wire, by mediallybending the wire, with resultant formation of a rounded head at 3 and apair of prongs 4. From Fig. I it will be observed that the prongs 4extend downward in spaced parallel relation from the head 3 to oulwarddirected nights forming an eye 5, and that the lower end or" this eye 5is defined by overlap crossing of the ends 6 of the prongs at a point 7substantially midway of the length of the pin.

Incident to thrusting the pin into the hair, the hair strands caughtbetween the prong ends 6 act to wedge the crotch 8 at the crossing ofthe prongs 4, thereby forcing the legs apart perpendicular to theircommon plane, and causing the pin to twist on its longitudinal axis.Upon passage of the eye 5, some of the hair strands are gripped in thenarrowed space 9 between the parallel portions of the prongs i at theregion of the head 3 or" the pin. Due to the inherent springiness of thewire from which the pin is made, and by virlue of the axial twistinduced incident to its placement, the pin is maintained under constanttorsional strain when in use. Ac-- cordingly the hair is clamped byprongs 4 and caused to wrap itself about the pin, so that the latter iseiiectively anchored against easy dislodgement, and also hidden so as tobe almost or practically invisible. The gripping action of the pin is toa great extent enhanced by bunching and trapping or locking of some ofthe hair strands within the loop of the pin, which includes the eye 5 aswell as the space 9, above the point 7 of crossing overlap of the prongs4.

In the modified form of hair-pin illustrated in Figs. III- -V, theprongs 4a are subsfantially parallel, and, at a point intermediate thelength or" the pin, forrned with inwardly-directed opposing indentationsor bights l0 whereof the median portions overlap as shown in Fig. III.These bights 10, it will be noted from Fig. V, are 5 moreover oppositelydisposed at an angle in respect to the plane of the hair-pin. As aconsequence of this construction, there is formed, immediately beneaththe head 3a, a vertically elongate eye 5a in the plane of the pin, asshown in Fig. III, and, immediately below said eye, a smallersubstantially circular eye 11 at right angles to the plane of the pin asshown in Fig. IV. When thrust into the hair, the modified hair-pin, likethe one first described, twists on its longitudinal axis, therebywrapping the hair about itself and maintaining itself in positionagainst displacement by maintenance of torsional strain under thespringiness of the Wire, and also hides itself in the hair. The capacityof the modified hair- 30 pin to resist withdrawal is greatly increasedthrough packing of different bunches of hair strands in twisted angularrelation within the two eyes 504 and 11, which, as already explained,lie perpendicular to each other. Here, again, as 5 in Figs. I and II,the legs of the pin are forced apart perpendicular to their common planeand then spring together and retain a whisp of hair locked in the loopof the pin, between the overlap of its legs and the head bend.

Both forms of my novel hair-pins are especially advantageous in securingshort ends of hair. They can obviously be made very cheaply in quantity,as Well as in different sizes, depending upon the particular uses towhich they are to be put. While I prefer to construct the pins fromwire, they can of course be made from nonmetallic sirip or strandmaterial which is sufiiciently springy to predetermine functioning ofthe pins as hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A hairpin consisting of a length of springy material medially bent toprovide a rounded head and substantially coplanar prongs extending inparallel relation from the rounded head to opposedcorrespondingly-curved overlapping bights, said bights being separateand free so as in use, under induced axialtwist, to admit between them awhisp of hair initially engaged below their overlap, and coacting toform a tor- 1 10 sionally strained substantially circular anchorage eyeremote from the rounded head at a point midway of the longitudinal axisof the pin.

2. A hairpin consisting of a length of springy material medially bent toprovide a rounded head and substantially coplanar prongs, such prongsembodying portions extending in parallel relation from the rounded headto outwardly curved corresponding bights thereby forming an elongatespace with an enlarged substantially circular anchorage eye remote fromsaid head, said bights having their free continuations reverselydirected to overlap another immediately below the anchorage eye andunder induced axial twist, admitting between them a whisp of hairinitially engaged below their overlap and jointly coacting to form agripping closure at a point midway of the longitudinal axis of the pin.

3. A hairpin consisting of a length of springy material medially bent toprovide a rounded head and substantially coplanar prongs extending inparallel relation from the rounded head to opposed inwardly curvedcorresponding bights thereby forming an elongate eye in the plane of thepin, said bights occupying substantially parallel planes and havingtheir center portions in spaced overlapping registration to jointly forma second smaller substantially circular anchorage eye in a plane atright angles to that of the pin, the free continuations of said bightsbeing ex tended in parallel relation, and said smaller anchorage eyeconstituting, under induced axial twist incident to forced admissionthereinto of a whisp of the users hair initially engaged below theiroverlap, a gripping closure at a predetermined point in the longitudinalaxis of the pin.

4. A hairpin consisting of a length of springy material medially bent toprovide a rounded head and substantially coplanar prongs extending inparallel relation from the rounded head to opposed inwardly curvedcorresponding bights, thereby forming an elongate eye in the plane ofthe pin; said bights occupying substantially parallel planes, angularlydirected relative to the common plane of the prongs, and having theircenter portions in spaced overlapping registration to jointly form asecond substantially circular smaller anchorage eye in a plane at rightangles to that of the pin, the free continuations of said bights beingin parallel relation; and said smaller anchorage eye constituting, underinduced axial twist incident to forced entry thereinto of a whisp of thewearers hair initially engaged below their overlap, a gripping closureremote from the rounded head at a point in the longitudinal axis of thepin below the elongate eye aforesaid.

5. A hairpin of springy material with its legs bent below the head bendinto bights and overlapping side by side, so as to form a loop betweentheir overlap and the head bend, and free to be forced apart,substantially perpendicular to the common plane of the legs, by a whispof hair initially included between the legs below their overlap, so asto admit said whisp of hair into the loop and then spring together inopposed relation to retain the whisp firmly locked in said loop.

FRANK E. DE LONG.

